Nicki Minaj
Minaj Urges Gay Fans To Stay Strong And Fight Against Bullies
Rap newcomer Nicki Minaj has reached out to her gay fans and urged them to stand up to bullies, insisting suicide is "never the answer".
The Your Love hitmaker was left devastated after learning of four separate incidents in which gay American teenagers had taken their own lives after being bullied for their sexual preferences.
The tragic death of one boy, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, hit the headlines this week (begs27Sep10) when he jumped off the George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey after his roommate allegedly videotaped him having sex with another male and posted the footage on the internet.
Lesbian comedienne Ellen DeGeneres and R&B singer Ciara are among the stars who have already publicly appealed for a stop to the tragedies, and now Minaj has called on her gay fans to stay strong and follow their dreams.
She tells MTV News, "I would encourage my gay fans to be fighters and to be brave. People face difficulties, no matter who you are. I faced difficulties with a lot of things. I face opposition every day, but I didn't kill myself and now, thank God, I'm here. So I want my life to be a testimony to my fans and my gay fans.
"I mean I could never imagine what they're going through. But I know that suicide is never the answer and I know that things always get better... It just takes a little willpower. There's an answer. There's always a different way that you can fight people back. And definitely (with) suicide you're giving up and I don't promote giving up. I promote fighting and winning...
"So I'm supporting you guys. I love you very, very much and for the people who don't love you, they need help."
Rah Digga Took Filmmaking Classes
Rapper Rah Digga has been learning all about working behind the camera after enrolling in filmmaking courses during her three-year hiatus from her music career.
The Touch It star parted ways with Busta Rhymes' rap crew the Flipmode Squad in 2007 and moved to Los Angeles, where she spent two years honing her skills as an actress.
But Digga, who landed a small role in 2001 horror Thirteen Ghosts, has also been picking up tips about making movies after returning home to America's East Coast.
She tells Hip-Hop Weekly, "I took some acting lessons, got into some non-profit work, came back here and took some courses at New York Film Academy - behind the scenes stuff like directing and editing."
Digga returned to the hip-hop scene in September (10) with the release of her sophomore album, Classic.